Guest post:

Web 2.0 challenges professionals to address our personal brands and define our social tendencies to increasingly broader audience. It seems the whole business world has gone social: Social CRM,Social Sales,Social CEOs, etc… If Mark Zuckerman gets his way, you’ll continue to struggle with the one face to show the world dilemma and if Google gets its way, you’ll have the option of a social network that mirrors your offline word. But the real power of a personal brand, is not which platform you use, it is the strength of having your character and actions in alignment with the image that you project. Brand management boils down to managing expectations.

In a 24/7 world, privacy doesn’t work. Who hasn’t been outed in the form of an awkward school photo, concealed political affiliation, or other equally embarrassing you weren’t supposed to know that about me moment? Things we used to be able to keep distinctly compartmentalized are now slowly creeping into our social conversations. Personal and professional personas are blending in the inbox, the computer, and across a growing number of social networking platforms. I believe it is because the world increasingly demands no boundaries on our time, geography, accessibility, and of course now our privacy. So why not turn the tables on privacy and own your brand? Embrace the awkward photos and admit that your hair do (or don’t) was a phase. Use your political affiliations to engage in meaningful discussions. Hey, at least you’re up on the world of politics (just be careful not to be too polarizing…unless of course that’s the brand you want to project). The best defensive is a good offense, right? So if you feel like the walls will come crashing down on you if you engage in TwitterFacebook or Linkedin start by answering the 8Ps of Online Social Networking. In doing so, you will begin to discover your authentic self. In the words of William Shakespeare “to thine own self be true.”

Do you know yourself? Do you know what few words others would use to describe you? Is there an expectation gap? Since I was a child, I’ve been an overcommitted Joiner. In 2008, I attended an LMA-LA networking event. During a session moderated by Jonathan Fitzgarrald I learned that my peers found me to be “Networked,” “Youthful,” and “Intense”. Though I could have drawn negative or positive conclusions from the insights, I was relieved to know that the these descriptors were not far from the personal brand I had been striving to create “Connected,” “Enthusiastic,” and “Smart”. A year later, I was asked to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder and my top five themes of talent ranked in the order revealed by my responses to the questions were: Input,Woo,Learner, Ideation, and Command.

Just today, while reading an article, I learned a phrase I use on marketing collateral “connecting the dots that lead to profitability” is more commonly referred to as searchlight intelligence. Over time, I have realized that it is less important that my brand be thought of as good or bad by others but rather consistently authentic. Finding and using one’s authentic social voice is a great way to differentiate your brand from others and will minimize the expectation gap.

Don’t be afraid to differentiate yourself from others, own your personal brand, and broadcast it further with social media. Sure our employers and clients are nervous over social network monitoring issues but if you build a trusted and authentic brand on & off line that strengthens the brand of the companies that write your checks, wouldn’t you be doing both yourself and your employer a huge favor? By harnessing your personal brand, not only will you leave a strong digital footprint but it’s the best investment you can make in yourself.

If we can all agree that law is a relationship driven business then social media/networking tools can assist or hurt us with regard to developing or nurturing relationships. Remember it’s only one tool out of many & a hammer is not needed for every situation.If used correctly, there are numerous opportunities online to have a deep dive conversation – get to know the person’s business, current needs, & future risks. When someone is in pain, there are opportunities to help them find a solution & be of value. Online this process is accelerated because people are so candid.When one is contributing positively to the online conversation i.e. Q&As, forums, and/or blogs, then there is also a chance to improve your know, like, & trust stock. If one is ego or celebrity driven & clearly projecting that it’s ALL about them or doing ALL the talking (in many cases shouting), then one’s know, like, & trust stock will take the hit. Ideally, professionals should avoid random acts of marketing. So sit down & define what success looks like with the attorneys:
· Reconnect with X # of colleagues for the year
· Conduct competitive intelligence on X # of potential clients in advance of annual networking events
· Facilitate X # of introductions with your network quarterly
· Grow network by X # of new contacts a month
· Create/Reply to X # of provocative discussions a week to unearth hidden pain/potential opportunities
· Listen to X # of blogs or discussion boards dailyThen use a business plan to prioritize which potential & existing relationships are ready for client meetings, events, newsletters, blogs, etc…Evaluate your progress – Am I more known, more liked, more trusted? If not, perhaps it’s not the hammer’s fault perhaps it’s time to reevaluate the brand & positioning. Are you in the right places? Are you revealing too much or too little? Are your character & competency strong or weak? Like it or not, conversations are taking place through this new medium. If you can not improve the silence then listen because there is a ton of information being shared.Thanks to Twitter, I learned that Forrester recently reported that 75% of online adults now use social tools to connect vs. 56% in 2007. The momentum is building! Web 2.0 for professionals is started to remind me of Dr. Seuss’Green Eggs & Ham. Just substitute Social Networking & Blogging for Green Eggs & Ham, eat for consume and Attorneys for Sam. Do you remember how that story ended???Ultimately, if you’re still not impressed with the cyber world then by all means Log Off & Meet Up with your attorneys, clients, & friends. I still encourage everyone to do this because there are conversations to be had anywhere. “…In the rain. And in the dark. And on a train. And in the car…”

Guest post:

One of my favorite movie quotes is from Angelica Houston’s character in Ever After. As the wicked stepmother, she declares to her favorite daughter

“Darling, nothing is final until you’re dead, and even then, I’m sure God negotiates.”

Although I cannot speak to the question whether God negotiates, I have found the first part of the formulation to hold quite true. I have learned that if I am persistent, passionate, and willing to see my challenges and opportunities from a variety of angles, I am usually able to find a creative solution to a problem and identify common ground with someone with whom I have a dispute.

Whether it’s getting a customer service agent to empathize with my situation, haggling to pay wholesale instead of retail, or building consensus amongst a range of strong personalities, there is always a way to state your case and persuade your audience to see the world through your eyes.

There is one challenge that I have discovered to be most daunting for professionals to negotiate — the management of their time.

Time is our most precious nonrenewable resource and as such, we put a premium on it. We attempt to prioritize and guarantee a return on our investment. Often we are left feeling that an activity was either not worth our time or took so much time that we were unable to sustain the task’s momentum.

Between work and life, we struggle to find balance and sanity.

My work with attorneys — helping them to build their practices; assisting them in overcoming their own internalized judgments about marketing and business development — requires me to help them re-negotiate the way in which they allocate their time.

I empathize. It is a daunting task to find a comfortable balance between one’s professional and personal lives when you are forced to measure it out in six minute increments. Despite many attempts to eliminate or modify the present system by which we value legal word — the billable hour remains the entrenched and painful lens through which a lawyer’s daily practice is viewed. Given this historic approach, it’s no wonder than that Web 2.0 activities (blogging, online social networking, & wikis) are met with such resistance.

While it is true that there is no one size fits all solution for growing a legal practice, there is one excellent way to refocus the discussion.

I’ve never worked with an attorney who didn’t agree that the practice of law is a relationship-driven business. Relationships take time to develop and require nurturing, both of which can be streamlined with Web 2.0 tools. If used correctly, there are numerous opportunities online to have a “deep dive” conversation – one in which attorneys can quickly learn a potential client’s business, current needs, and future risks.

When someone is in pain, there are opportunities to help them find a solution and be of value. Relationships that would take years to develop offline can accelerate faster online because — for better or worse — the internet encourages candor.

If you are struggling with how to do more with less in these tough economic times then reconsider making a small investment of your time in the mostly free Web 2.0 resources.

The sense of community, collaboration and reciprocity that exists in online social networks can quickly translate into marketing opportunities that are speedily turned into new engagements. If you contribute positively and regularly to the online conversations at Q&As (LinkedIn), subject matter listserv forums, blogs, and, most recently, Twitter, you are highly likely to improve your “know, like and trust” stock.

In the end, professionals who are able to renegotiate their time priorities to set aside a few hours a week to invest in online-relationship-building, will be rewarded many times over by the ease with which your network can be immediately deployed for your benefit or that of your clients.

If you find Web 2.0 daunting, ask a tech-savvy professional friend to advise you or, better yet, give me a call!

Score a point for each question answered “YES!”

Is it time to get organized and use business plans in lieu of random acts of marketing? _____

Will you lose your competitive edge because you are afraid to learn both the art and science of online social networking? _____

Is your marketing department stretched too thin or are you in need of a fresh creative spark? _____

Are you ready to partner with an outside consultant to educate your attorneys about developing a book of business? _____

Can you identify areas for improvement, yet fall short in creating the lasting changes needed to show results? _____

Is your brand nonexistent? _____

Are you ready to tap into the power of competitive intelligence? _____

Was the last time you spoke to your target audience or saw your name in print prior to the advent of the Internet? _____

Was your firm resistant and unreceptive to your expensive new CRM system and now you need a database champion to recoup your investment? _____

10 = It’s urgent, can we speak today?
7-9 = Time to adapt; when can we schedule a meeting?
4-6 = The status quo has been great but the times they are a’changing. Please tell me more.
2-4 = We might need an extra hand soon; we’ll keep your information on file.
0-1 = Services not required at this juncture and we’ll let others know about your capabilities.